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20,000 KM Down the Road - A Frank Appraisal

16K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  Fyrstorm 
#1 ·
I expect that if I was on the way "up" the car range rather than "down" the other side, I would look at the Caliber a bit differently. What I mean by that is this forum is populated by a fair number of younger people, for whom the Caliber is early on their list of cars, and in that I can see it as a relatively inexpensive vehicle that offers unique styling, some interesting options and tricks, and hopefully some longevity. My wife and I are at the other end of the stream, since I just retired and we decided to downsize from a Grand Caravan AWD (a rather different vehicle from the Caliber!).

I had vehicles equivalent to the Caliber--- a nice little gold Renault Encore, a Mustang, a Corolla (and even a Falcon Futura, and a Corvair!), but I got a bit used to some larger cars when the kids came along, and ran through a couple of Torinos, a couple of Taurus's, an Intrepid, and a couple of Caravans. Going to the Caliber was a move that seemed good at the time, and we do like some aspects of the vehicle, but we're not sure we would do it again if time reversed.

You get what you pay for in most situations, and we paid about $20,000 CDN for our Caliber. Our last Caravan when new rang in at about $44,000 CDN, and we were a bit naive to feel that the two would have a lot in common other than four wheels. We have the SXT with PW, PL, CVT and 2.0, cruise, and added the remote start.

The good: I like the Caliber styling, although part of that leads to one of the problems. I like the CVT, although I fear it for longevity and $$$.

I like the large wheels (17"... largest of any car we've owned, although I'll feel that in a month when i get snow tires for it.... $880 for 4 Michelin X-Ice).

I like the technology that has gone into it, like the "world" engine and the CVT, developments with other car companies that generally have more of a reputation for reliability than Dodge (although our Caravans served us well).

The gas mileage is good, getting about 35 mpg Cdn, which would be about 28 on the US gallon. Not bad when you are coming from an AWD wagon that gave us 19.6 on the CDN gallon.

The hatchback is nice and convenient, though thankfully we are past the kids at university stage.... the last Caravan had some kind of self-levelling suspension and could take an unbelievable load. Headlights very good on Caliber.

The bad: The seats are terrible... worst support and back care we've ever had. We added two Obus seat rests that add a little more lower back support.

Rear vision is terrible... a good deal of that is the styling down into the small rear window, and the large rear pillars.

Road noise is terrible.... you hear every surface mark. For a month they had ground our main highway down prior to paving, and travelling about 8 miles on that was misery. I preferred to take my F-150 truck for the quiet. In general there seems to be little noise padding in the vehicle. Try closing a door when a window is down or another door is open... worse tinny sound I've ever heard since my '72 Corolla.

Acceleration seems unpredictable.... sometimes there seems to be something there when you put your foot down, other times there is a lot of noise but not a lot of moving.

Ride suffers from the size of the car, but this is a physics thing to a large extent. If you have a -3000 lb vehicle, you can only respond so much with springs and shocks in comparison to a 4000+ vehicle. A heavier vehicle has more inertia that keeps it quiet while the suspension deals with the bumps. The Caliber isn't bad for a small vehicle, but it's a small vehicle.

Entry is tricky depending on seat height. I'd like the seat higher, but when you jack it up, you have to make a mandatory head duck to get below the window top... and I'm relatively short.... I don't know how a 6' fellow would make out with a Caliber.

Cup holders are not ideal... funbling down between the seats for your coffee, which is just barely poking out of the holder. I like them up and in view.

So........ bottom line, would I buy another? Probably not, I think if I was after gas mileage I'd go for the Honda Civic, which I had preferred (but my wife liked the Caliber). Other than that I would probably have moved up the line into a slightly larger car, Accord if we could afford it, or the Sebring if we stayed with the Dodge line.

But you guys who love the Caliber--- have fun!
 
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#2 ·
cupholders rock

hey... I love those cupholders! My drink stays down inside the cupholder rather than getting jolted around! I do prefer the cupholder closer to the shifter, though.
 
#3 ·
40,000 miles down the road... my seats are as comfortable now as they were when new. The R/T has height-adjustable seats with built-in lumbar support. Plus heated leather, no complaints from me, and I'm in my car a lot. I'm 6'2.5 and 200 lbs, no trouble getting in or out. You sure your problems aren't due to age or weight? Visibility or lack thereof is due to the larger pillars, which are due in part to government safety standards. Learn to use your side view mirrors and visibility isn't a problem. Cupholders, not really something I would consider when judging a vehicle. Mine work fine for me. Road noise can be lessened with a bit of insulating mats or add the cargo carpet to the rear. I just put new tires on and road noise is significantly less. Acceleration is more than adequate in my R/T with CVT. In fact, if I'm not careful, I find myself well over the posted limits. My 18" rims & tires hold the road amazingly well in all weather and provide a ride that suits me. Firm, and in touch with the road. For the record, I've owned a big Mercedes sedan, two Isuzu Troopers (still have one, the other had a tree fall on it), a '79 Bronco, a '69 Mustang, and a few other cars not worth mentioning. My R/T Caliber with AWD is the best of all worlds. I just upgraded to lifetime powertrain warranty. Have fun in your Civic!!
 
#5 ·
The Cali is not small at all:wow:

Coming from the Toyota RunX also a hatch that was not the smallest in the range. The Cali is huge in comparison and it feels even larger due to the higher seating position and the ground clearance is excellent.

I just love the suspension. Please note that even with the 18 inch wheels I don't feel all the potholes in the road, like with my RunX. I had a back opp not a year ago and the adjustable back support is the greatest ever.

The power is mind blowing and the sound of that 2.4 is the coolest.

I've driven many trucks (we call them bakkies over here) and the hard suspension on those things don't come close to what we have, not to mention road noise. The cali sits nicely between a large hatch and an SUV. My sales guy gave me a full set of carpets including one for the cargo bay. What road noise?

Don't slam the doors, they close by themselves. ;)

I'm 1.8m tall, how tall is that in feet?

The most comfortable driving position I ever had (If it gets any more comfortable I might fall asleep).

I don't need to look out the rear, I have too much trouble keeping my eyes on the road ahead. Reverse gear is the least utilized gear on any car:p

No offense:)

Enjoy:4-sunshine:
 
#8 ·
My sister lives in California, she came home to visit. I showed her my Caliber that i had at the time around three months. She said she has never seen a car like this before. We went riding around for a few hours. She told me, this car rides and handles around curves so much better than her car. She was shocked at the 458 watt stereo. I let her drive it. She told me the seats feel so much better than the seats in her car. She also liked being up higher than regular small size cars. She also told me, if she had known about the Dodge Caliber she would have bought one instead of the one she bought.

You know what kind of car she has?... A 2007 HONDA CIVIC
 
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#9 ·
I suspect that we would have been happier with a more upscale model, like the R/T, which appears to have better seats and more power. Coming from an AWD Caravan as well, we probably should have opted for the AWD Caliber....AWD is one of those things that once you have it, you don't know if you can live without it.

And, re the question, I'm neither too tall nor too large... 5'7" and 155 lb. I don't mind entry into the Caliber compared to some smaller cars that hug the ground... the Caliber's large wheels at least give reasonable ground clearance.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Feedback from 0 miles

I suspect that we would have been happier with a more upscale model, like the R/T, which appears to have better seats and more power. Coming from an AWD Caravan as well, we probably should have opted for the AWD Caliber....AWD is one of those things that once you have it, you don't know if you can live without it.

And, re the question, I'm neither too tall nor too large... 5'7" and 155 lb. I don't mind entry into the Caliber compared to some smaller cars that hug the ground... the Caliber's large wheels at least give reasonable ground clearance.

For me, moving to the Caliber is going to take some adjustment. I currently drive an '04 EXT AWD, which seems to have a lot of space, but my family feels that my wife's Mariner AWD has more usable people room. The EXT lease is up soon and the Caliber is my replacement vehicle. Since leasing the EXT, we moved from New England to the Pacific Northwest, and my commute has gone from 30-40 minutes per day to nearly 3.5 hours per day. No, it's not the infamous Seattle traffic. I take a one hour ferry in each direction (so that's two hours) plus I have to allot enough time in the evening in case of traffic. Otherwise it would be approximately an hour round trip. I also no longer own a home, so I won't be doing any remodeling any time soon. Our youngest has moved out and married, so what do I need a large car for?

So, you can see that I am looking for a commute-friendly vehicle that will be comfortable, fun to drive and not fade into the crowd. The seats in my EXT don't go all of the way down (I usually stay in my car on the ferry and I have pillows and blankets) and the Caliber's do. I have a sunroof -- that I love -- and it is ideal for this area as you can use it a lot. The EXT gets about 13 MPG (makes my commute cost approximately $800/month), but that's on par with the lease and insurance costs. I do get 19+ on the highway, but right now I mostly do stop-and-go commute driving. The Caliber is going to save me a fortune.

I was considering a Civic Si and MazdaSpeed3. Of the two, the MS3 appealed to me as the sportier of the two. But, no sunroof and Mazda said for structural reasons, so adding one isn't a good idea. The GT has heated leather, HID headlamps, LED tails. The Caliber seems to be roomier, has an aggressive styling (akin to the EXT), and the SRT-4 has a mystique of its own.

I would have preferred to have AWD, which led me to look at Subaru (the only serious line in the price class) but I don't like their styling. They need to hire some new designers. When my brother-in-law visited from Texas, he said that Subarus seemed to be the official Washington State vehicle. I want something with personality.

I considered Audi, Accord and the new Impreza WRX (I want some degree of power) and configured the way I want them, they are priced way above what I'm willing to pay ($32K+), so I gave on the AWD. I could have gone with a less sporty model, but then I would get a chance to reflect on my decision for 3.5 hours every day.

I test drove a new '08 SXT and an '04 Neon SRT to give me a feeling for Dodge.

I ordered an SRT and there are a few things that I won't have when the car arrives. I would have loved heated leather seats. The SRT seats seem to be similar to those that I had in my '03 Avalanche NorthFace, and those were nice (sans the heat). One of my first mods may be to get the seats heated. A 2000 528i that I leased had heated seats and heated steering wheel (believe me, you don't know what you're missing -- heat from the wheel is sooooo nice in the morning, it warms your heart).

I ordered mine in Ostentatious Orange, and am looking forward to updating the headlamps, tails (when available, or I'll try some design of my own) and add side marker lamps. Orange foglight bulbs. The SRT does not have audio upgrades right now, so I'll be installing a NAV HU with XM traffic, plus 5.1 sound (amps and speakers). The Caliber leaves room in my budget to do this over time. (This part is not 100% yet as I'm looking into a car PC HU, but want to be sure that it gives me what I want.)

I also want to hook up with a local Caliber club. I was involved in the New England Avalance club and I met the nicest people that way.

(hang in there, I'm almost done)

So, to some degree, I suppose that I'm taking a leap with Dodge. The Caliber has got a very good safety rating. The economy is there, the room is there, the sunroof is there, the seating is almost there and it's at the right price. In the future MOPAR may order some performance upgrades (and there are things that I can do in the interim). I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel of my own.

John

PS I'm 6'2 and 270 lbs and had no problem in either test drive vehicle, although the Neon was obviously smaller.
 
#12 ·
Dude, you're clutching at straws. If you don't like your Caliber, get rid of it. But sun visors? Who the F* cares?? The only time my visor is moved is when some pretty passenger of mine wants to make sure she's as pretty as the last time she checked. Get some good sunglasses. L8r.
 
#17 ·
Dude, you're clutching at straws. If you don't like your Caliber, get rid of it. But sun visors? Who the F* cares?? .
While the response of our otherwise esteemed founder kind of took me back at first, I would have to add in rebuttal that it's the little things done right that are examples of a vehicle done right--- too long the little things done right has been the domain of the Japanese and now Korean car makers, while American makers seem to have been satisfied with the "big things" done right--- "Who cares if the $%$#@ doesn't work right--- it's got a Hemi!" The big things done right is great for a sunny afternoon, but in the day after day after day use of a vehicle, little things done badly can be bloody annoying. :cool:
 
#14 · (Edited)
Speaking of sunvisors, who the hell designed the clip on those things. Push AWAY to unhook them? Makes hooking them back in a PIA as far as I'm concerned.

Don't like the way they wiggle when you fully extend them for the side window. For 2 months out of the year the sun comes up as I'm driving down hitting me smack in the side of the face and eyes. My tint helps with that now though.

But hey I drive an 89 Pontiac Firebird also so the Cali is comfy to get into relatively
Hah! I have an 86 Trans Am that I'm redoing. Funny we have the same cars. Do you have a Celica too? lol

But sun visors? Who the F* cares??
A bit harsh no? To some, sunvisors are a very important part of their daily drive - like me for example. When I'm going to work the sun is right on the horizon - center of the road. I even took a picture hehe!

(It's not bright yet but it will be soon!)
(For a couple of days in spring and summer the sun lights up this building like a big mirror hehe! eat your heard out Chichenitza!)

I personally don't like wearing glasses of any kind, and luckily I don't need them yet :p So I like my sunvisor :)
 
#15 ·
When I test drove the Calibers I didn't bother to examine the sunvisors. I do rely pretty heavily on the sunvisors in cars because I am rather petite and always seem to have the morning and late afternoon sun trying his best to blind me, lol! I suppose if the visors are less than perfect, it will be nothing more or less than I am used to. ;) Too late now, anyway, since my Caliber has been built and is being shipped right now! Woohoo :4-jump2:
 
#19 ·
Corksailor...Yes, I've complained about rear view vision a lot here. The road noise is bad. I've noted tho, that some of the new pavement materials(rubber mixed in?) on newly laid pavement is v.v. quiet in the Caliber. Its magical how quiet Caliber gets when you hit a stretch of that new pavement. Also agree entry headroom because of Caliber styling has been sacrificed. I have a bad back. Strangely, my unusually curved backbone fits the Caliber seats wonderfully. I can see why people with ordinary backs complain. I've noted the strangely iffy acceleration of the Caliber, but I adore the CVT. I've waited for 16 years for a cheap reliable CVT & the Dodge Caliber has it! My MPG has been good, while others have complained. For a year I have overall averaged 31.4 MPG, 32.7MPG over 4000foot mountain passes, & have a flat highway high of 35.6MPG.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I've noted tho, that some of the new pavement materials(rubber mixed in?) on newly laid pavement is v.v. quiet in the Caliber
It might be something called SMA, Stonemastic Asphalt. It kinda looks rubbery when first placed. I used to work at an asphalt plant and I moved on to my current job just after they started using it up here. Does it look like all the stones are about the same size? Does it look very black (ie normal asphalt after placement is almost perfect black, but SMA seems to be even blacker).

If it is, that explains the quieter ride. It's designed to be close to what is called "Open Course", so it has a lot of voids in the layer. Designed to speed the drainage of water, and also to reduce road spray from cars so it's easier to see in the rain. It's also supposed to be very good for braking, as all of the aggregate is crushed so there is lots of little sharp edges for tires to cling to.

SMA gets it's strength from the aggregate sitting almost on top of each other, as opposed to regular asphalt where there is quite a bit of space between each aggregate. There is also quite a bit of Asphalt Cement as well, so much so that a filler has to be injected into the mixing process to keep that cement suspended in the mix while it is being placed. This filler is actually shredded newspapers hehe!

I hear SMA is being used extensively in the states, and it's only just making headway here in Ontario. If any of my fellow Canadians drive on the 401 over Hwy 27 - I was involved in that bridge reconstruction and paving. That stuff is SMA. You'll see on the Westbound lanes quite a bit of flushing, that's cause we were just starting out there and trying to get the mix just right. Eastbound lanes are perfect.

Felt like passing that on for a giggle while I'm waiting for the Leaf game to come on, hope they don't blow it again. They won last night so tonight... should be a loss hehe!

Hey, that's a nice picture.
Thanks :) I was surprised too, it's just my cellphone. The dark spot is a dead bug :p
 
#25 · (Edited)
Re the suggestion of getting an Xtra-Large Tim's----------- Xtra Large? I usually get the medium and drink 2/3 of that. Maybe I can invent the "Extendo-Cup" mount for Calibers. "One medium with two milk, and an Extendo-Cup mount, please."

(For most of you unfamiliar with "Tim's", it's the national CDN coffee chain-- Tim Horton's--- more outlets per capita than any other vendor in the world, apparently. Keeps us alert in the winter in case the dogs get into a mess with the harness.)
 
#27 ·
I'll say that this is a very good critique! The road noise is the thing that and possibly the main thing that I'm not really happy about..

The roof is a bit low for we larger individuals.. Once in, the car is pretty comfortable with the exception of the center console which on me rides on the side of my left knee and on long trips does get a bit raw..

Did I say the roof is low? The roof is very close to being a chop top if you sit further back and higher up than the regular average sized humans.. Traffic lights can be a pain in the butt to see when stopped waiting for the light to change.

Sound system is good

Fuel economy is good

All in all, it was what we needed when we needed it.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Really? I find that really surprising cause I'm 6'4" and 200lbs, by no means husky. More like a straw with a bump in the middle :p

This is one of the most comfortable rides I've had, only comparable to my old Jeep Cherokee. With the seat back fully up is the only time my head comes close to the ceiling.

Chev seats on the other hand....

As another side note, we just finished placing quiet pavement test sections on the 405 Toronto bound just before you hit the QEW (about a 2km section). As you are driving, you'll notice the difference the farther you go west as it gets quieter and quieter. One 500m section has recycled rubber tire powder mixed into the asphalt.

Other areas of SMA:
- 427 between Burnhamthorpe and QEW
- QEW at the Red Hill Creek interchange
- One part of the test sections I mentioned above, on the 405.
- And I think 401 EB on the Islington collector exit and all the way to Keele but I'm not positive, wasn't my contract hehe
 
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